Collision detecting apparatus operable in response to deformation and acceleration
First Claim
1. A collision detecting apparatus comprising:
- a base;
deformation sensing means, disposed on said base, for detecting a deformation caused by a collision;
acceleration sensing means, disposed on said base, for detecting an acceleration generated by said collision;
detecting means for detecting occurrence of said collision based on said deformation sensing means and said acceleration means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A collision detecting apparatus (1) comprises a pair of deformation sensor (2) and G sensor (3) having output signals to be supplied to a control circuit (19). When a door outer panel (18) is deformed by collision of a vehicle, the deformation sensor (2) is turned on. Meanwhile, the door, when received an impact force, will be subjected to a large G sufficient to turn on the G sensor (3). Thus, the control circuit (19) generates an actuation signal for exploding an air bag only when the sensors (2) and (3) generate ON signals. However, when the door outer panel (18) is manually pushed or swung for opening/closing operation, only one of these two sensors (2) and (3) is turned on. Hence, the control circuit (19) does not generate the actuation signal, thereby surely detecting the collision of the vehicle and preventing the air bag from being erroneously exploded.
72 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A collision detecting apparatus comprising:
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a base; deformation sensing means, disposed on said base, for detecting a deformation caused by a collision; acceleration sensing means, disposed on said base, for detecting an acceleration generated by said collision; detecting means for detecting occurrence of said collision based on said deformation sensing means and said acceleration means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A collision detecting apparatus provided inside an outer panel of an automotive vehicle comprising:
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a base; deformation sensing means, mounted on said base, for detecting a deformation of said outer panel caused by a collision of said vehicle; acceleration sensing means, mounted on said base, for detecting an acceleration generated by said collision; detecting means for detecting occurrence of collision based on said deformation sensing means and said acceleration sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A collision detecting apparatus provided inside an outer panel of an automotive vehicle comprising:
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deformation sensing means for detecting a deformation of said outer panel caused by a collision of said vehicle; acceleration sensing means for detecting an acceleration generated by said collision; detecting means for detecting occurrence of said collision based on said deformation sensing means and said acceleration sensing means, wherein said acceleration sensing means comprises a spherical inertia mass, a compression spring, a contact switch and a lever which are accommodated together in a housing having first and second chambers communicated by a passage, said first chamber accommodating said inertia mass and said compression spring therein and said second chamber accommodating said contact switch, with said lever disposed in said passage in a manner that allows it to swing like a seesaw, so that one end of said lever is swung in response to a shift movement of said inertia mass against a resilient force of said compression spring in said first chamber and an opposite end of said lever is responsively swung so as to push said contact switch.
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24. A collision detecting apparatus provided inside an outer panel of an automotive vehicle comprising:
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deformation sensing means having a leaf spring member, a pressure receiving block supported on said leaf spring member, and a first contact switch for detecting a deformation of said outer panel caused by a collision of said vehicle, with said leaf spring member and pressure receiving block defining a space therein; acceleration sensing means having a second contact switch for detecting an acceleration generated by said collision; detecting means for detecting occurrence of said collision based on output signals obtained from said first contact switch of said deformation sensing means and said second contact switch of said acceleration means; wherein both of said first contact switch of said deformation sensing means and said second contact switch of said acceleration sensing means are disposed in said space defined by said pressure receiving block and said leaf spring member, and said first contact switch of said deformation sensing means including a pair of contacts disposed in a spaced relation, in such a manner that one contact is fixed on a rigid member and the other contact is provided on said pressure receiving block, whereby said contacts are brought into contact with each other when said pressure receiving block is resiliently moved in response to the collision of the vehicle.
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25. A collision detecting apparatus provided inside an outer panel of an automotive vehicle comprising:
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deformation sensing means having a leaf spring member, a pressure receiving block supported on said leaf spring member, and a first contact switch for detecting a deformation of said outer panel caused by a collision of said vehicle, with said pressure receiving block and said leaf spring member defining a space therein; acceleration sensing means having a second contact switch for detecting an acceleration generated by said collision; detecting means for detecting occurrence of said collision based on said first contact switch of said deformation sensing means and said second contact switch of said acceleration means; wherein both of said first contact switch of said deformation sensing means and said second contact switch of said acceleration sensing means are disposed in said space defined by said leaf spring member and said pressure receiving block, and said second contact switch of said acceleration sensing means including a first contact being fixed on a distal end of an inertia mass supported in a cantilever manner and a second contact being disposed in a spaced relation to said first contact, so that said contacts are brought into contact with each other when said inertia mass is swung in response to the collision of the vehicle.
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Specification